Colombo: Pacer Al Fahad and opener Zawad Abrar put on a record-breaking performance to help the Bangladesh Under-19 team thrash their Sri Lankan counterparts by nine wickets in the second game of the six-match Youth ODI series at Colombo Cricket Club Ground today. Having won the game, Bangladesh leveled the series after conceding a 98-run defeat in the first game.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Al Fahad became the first Bangladeshi U19 pacer and third overall to claim six wickets for 44 runs as the visitors bowled out Sri Lanka for just 211 runs in 48.5 overs. Sanjit Saha and Mahfujur Rahman Rabby, who had earlier grabbed six wickets for the Bangladesh U19 team, were both spinners.
Chamika Heenatigala top-scored for Sri Lanka with 51 runs, while Dinura Damsith contributed 47 runs. Bangladesh reached 215-1 for a facile victory in just 34.3 overs, with Zawad Abrar leading the charge by hammering 130 not out off 106 balls, an innings marked by 14 boundaries. Skipper Azizul Hakim Tamim remained unbeaten on 69.
Kalam Siddiki was the only batter to be dismissed for just 5 runs. Hakim and Zawad added 180 runs for the undefeated second-wicket stand to sail the side home. The 130 runs by Zawad is the second-highest individual score for a Bangladesh U19 player, just behind Pinak Ghosh’s 150.
Zawad also broke the record for most runs in boundaries (92) in an innings in YODIs for the country, surpassing Pinak Ghosh’s 90. Additionally, Hakim and Zawad Abrar’s 180-run partnership is Bangladesh U19’s highest for the second wicket in YODIs, breaking the previous record of 179 runs between Anamul Haque Bijoy and Liton Das.